Meghalaya: another illegal mine collapse causes two fatalities

Two deaths have been reported following a fresh accident at another illegal coal mine in Meghalaya’s East Jaintia Hills. The miner’s bodies were reportedly recovered at the mine in Jalyiah village.

This comes as rescue operations at the mine at Ksan village, where 15 miners have been trapped since 13 December, have slowed down after water pumps stopped working.

A senior police officer, Sylvester Nongtnger, District Police Chief, was reported by IANS to say: "A search was conducted and his body was found in front of a 'rat-hole' coal mine. When we further checked inside the narrow mine, another body was found. The second man was identified as Monoj Basumatry.”

"It is suspected that boulders hit them when they tried to extract coal," Nongtnger said, adding that efforts are ongoing to identify the owner of the illegal mine.